Russ Lemmon: After years of dormancy, is activist group still relevant?

Eight bite-size Lemmon Drops to nibble on while waiting for early voting to commence:

• The last time it happened to me was when Phyllis Diller died. Perhaps you've had a similar reaction upon hearing the news of a different celebrity's passing.

You thought they were already dead.

I couldn't help but laugh when I read the first sentence of a guest column in Friday's paper.

"The Civic Association of Indian River County has a long history of informing our members and public about issues that impact our area."

Yes, I thought the organization was dead.

While the Civic Association of Indian River County was a force back in the day, it hasn't even been strong enough to generate a blip on the political radar during my time here. (My first column appeared in the Press Journal on Jan. 2, 2007.)

Then, out of nowhere, came Friday's guest column about the proposed sale of the city of Vero Beach's electric system to Florida Power & Light Co. It was written by Caroline Ginn and Ralph King.

The Civic Association of Indian River County has deemed the deal to be "not acceptable."

Pardon me if it sounds like one relic trying to save another relic.

Where has this so-called activist group been all these years?

Its absence from the political scene is best explained this way: In July 2011, the Indian River Civic Association was formed with a mission to help needy families.

Apparently, the Indian River Civic Association also thought the Civic Association of Indian River County was dead.

For the "original" Civic Association to re-emerge 11 days before the election is sheer desperation, if you ask me. Lest we forget the group's "long history" includes years of dormancy.

I have no dog in this fight. I'm neither a Vero Beach resident nor a Vero Beach Utilities customer. However, as I've stated before, I believe it's important to speak up on behalf of the Vero Beach Utilities customers living outside the city limits. (There are roughly 20,000 customers outside the city limits and 12,000 inside.)

The level of disrespect shown to these outside-the-city customers is astounding.

• Tim Zorc's campaign received a $10,000 shot in the arm Friday, compliments of the local Republican Executive Committee.

Zorc is running for the District 3 seat on the County Commission. He defeated Bea Gardner in the Aug. 14 Republican primary.

Talk about sending a message to Tony Donadio and his supporters, some of whom are founding members of the Indian River County Tea Party. Donadio, running without party affiliation, is trying to become the first person to beat a designated Republican in a countywide race in more than 20 years.

Zorc says the $10,000 donation will allow him "to clearly show who is the (Republican) nominee and who has the support of the party."

• While reading the story about the demolition of the former Osceola Magnet School on the front page of Friday's paper, we were reminded about Rule No. 1 when burying a time capsule.

That is, remember where you buried it!

• In this space last week, I suggested a catchy slogan was needed for a clean-sweep "no" vote for the ridiculous number of proposed amendments to the state constitution.

Jerry Nashel's offering: "No. No. A thousand times ... er, make that eleven times NO."

• The county's latest beach renourishment project cost $14.7 million and, in a cost-saving move, featured inland sand. (Sand pumped from the ocean floor was used in previous projects.)

How's that change working out for us?

Paul Hurt called Friday with a report regarding the status of the sand at Treasure Shores Beach Park.

"It's not the beach sand that everyone said it would be," he said. "It's like bedrock. If a kid fell down on it, he would skin his knee."

He said Treasure Shores — no longer guarded by county lifeguards — is not what he calls a beach.

"Let's put it this way," he said, "you can't build a sand castle on it."

• Most of the people reading this are doing so in the Press Journal. Yes, even though the industry is rapidly evolving, making the transition from print to digital, we remain one of the strongest newspaper markets in the state.

As it says on Windsor's website (windsorflorida.com): "Imagine a place where you can find fresh lemons in January and your favorite newspaper on Sundays."

• One of the good things about living in Indian River County is having access to West Palm Beach television stations. Except, of course, during election season in even-numbered years.

Watching negative ad after negative ad — usually it's a race for which we have no vested interest (such as the one between Allen West and Patrick Murphy) — makes you wonder if people truly realize the end game for their political donations.

• The Old Winter Beach School was demolished about 10 months ago. Since then, the property at U.S. 1 and 65th Street — which is owned by the School District — has become a place where people try to sell big-ticket items. First, there were pickup trucks; now, a boat (it was out there most of last week).

What's next, flat-screen TVs?

Russ Lemmon is a columnist for Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers. This column reflects his opinion. Contact him at 772-978-2205 or russ.lemmon@scripps.com.